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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0- 8. WHITE 81; J. P. LEWIS. HOUSE-LETTER BOX.

Patented Dec.'8 1891-.

(No Mo deI.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' 0. S WHITE & J. P. LEWIS.

HOUSE LETTER BOX No. 464,928. Patented Dec. 8,1891.

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9 F W I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORMOND S. \VI-IITE AND JAMES P. LElVIS, OF WVILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA;

SAID LEVIS ASSIGNOR TO SAID lVHITE.

HOUSE LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,928, dated December8, 1891.

Application filed April 16, 1891.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,1()RMOND S. WHITE and JAMES P. LEWIS, citizens ofthe United States, residing at \Vilkes-Barr, in the county of Luzerneand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Letter-Boxes; and we do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to letter-boxes, and

7 more particularly to a box designed to be employed for individual orhouse use.

The object of the invention is to provide a box which can beconveniently located for the reception of mail-matter and constructedwith a compartment. to receive letters, and also with means adapted toreceive and retain papers and similar objects; further, to provide meansfor locking and securing the box-door, and in connection therewith meansfor opening it only from the inside of the house; also, to provide meansfor opening and maintaining in an open position the flap covering theopening through which the letters are dropped into the box.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointedout in theclaims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1' represents aperspective view of our improved box secured to a house-door; Fig. 2, aplan View on the line 00 x of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional viewon the line y y of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a view of the bottom of the box,looking from below upward; Fig.5, a detail view showing the means forlocking and opening the letter drop-door; Fig. 6, a view on the line 2 zof Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts in each of thefigures.

The letter A represents the box, the body of which may be made in anyform desirable and of any suitable material, preferably of wood, andprovided with a top covering B. The floor or bottom piece F projects infront of the box, forming a ledge or shelf for the Serial No. 389,150-(No model.)

reception of papers or similar objects, as will be more fully explainedhereinafter.

The box is to be secured to the house-door A by any suitable means,preferably by screws a. In the front wall of the box is cut an opening,through which the letters are to be inserted. This opening is covered bya hinged door D.

Projecting downwardly and toward the back of the box from the upperfront edge is a wall or partition plate 0. Below this plate and belowthe opening in the box is formed a projecting ledge P, which, with thesaid plate, are so placed as to admit of the ready insertion of letters,but effectually prevents their withdrawal through the opening.

Attached to the under face of the ledge P and extending through a smallopening 0 in the front of the box is a spring-catch 17, adapted to holdthe door D in a closed position. The end is bent down to form aconvenient handle a.

Secured to the inner side of the front wall of the box and extendedupwardly into the drop-opening is a spring Q, the upper end of which isshown as formed with a loop Q, and which presses against the door D. Onpulling the handle of the spring-catch 1) downwardly, as shown by dottedlines in Fig. 5, the door D is released and thrown open by the pressureof the spring Q to the position shown in Fig. 3. The catch 1) and springQ are placed at one side of the box, so that they will not interferewith the insertion of the letters.

The letter C represents the door by which access is had to the'interiorof the box for removal of deposited matter. It is placed on one side ofthe box and hinged so as to open freely.

Attached to the inner side of the door and, as shown, near the lowerfront edge is a catch 0, adapted to co-operate with the springj to lockthe door. The spring j is secured to the inner side of the front wall ofthe box and its free end is bent so as to form a projection Z, adaptedto be taken by the catch 0.

The letter 1) denotes a rod or wire attached at one end to the spring j,and which extends IOO through an opening 71 in the box and an opening inthe box-supporting frame or door A, and has attached to its other end asuitable handle I, by means of which it can be operated. As thewire or 10d 11 thus extends into the interior of the house when the door 0 isclosed, it is impossible for anyone to open it from the exterior, as thespring j securely holds the catch 6 against any movement. When it isdesired to open the door 0, a pull on the wire 1', and consequently thespring j, moving the latter to the position shown in the dotted lines inFig. 2, releases the catch e and the door can then be opened.

To insure the positive opening of the door we provide a spring cl, whichis secured at one end to the side edge of thebottom of the box, the edgebeing out out a short distance, as shown at d, for this purpose, so asnot to interfere with the tight closing of the door. WVhen the catch 6is released, the spring dby its tension pressing against the door 0throws it wide open, as shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2.

m is a stop fixed in the bottom of the box to prevent the springj frombeing drawn back any further than is necessary to release the catch e.

As above stated, the bottom of the box extends forward, forming a shelfF, adapted for the reception of papers or packages. A slot f is cut inthe shelf and extends from the box to the front edge.

On the under side of the bottom of the box is a rod G moving freely insuitable supports, bent, as shown at G, to form a handle for operatingit and one end G, extending upward through the slot f, forming a-postfor the purpose to be presently described.

The letter N denotes a coiled spring, fastened at one end to the bottomof the box and at the other to the handle G, so as to keep the post Gnormally pressed against the box A.

The letter H denotes a spring-rod fastened to the bottom of the box andbent, as shown at H, so as to form a shoulder extending across the slotf and in the path of travel of the post G. This rod has a suitablehandle H, by which it can be operated. A pull on the handle G moves thepost G along the slot and against the shoulder H, displacing the springH until when the post G passes beyond the shoulder the latter falls backto its normal position across the slot, holding the post at the front ofthe shelf, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. A plate g at the frontedge of the shelf and across the slot prevents the post from beingpulled all the way out. A lateral pull on the handle I-I releases thepost and the latteris drawn back against the box by the spring N.

The letter E denotes a glass window, enabling one to observe whether ornot any mail has been deposited.

It will thus be seen that our device is of simple construction, madesecure against all outside interference for the abstraction of letters,and easily operated, all the manipulations necessary in the depositingof mail being possible to be done with one hand. When letters are to bedeposited, a slight pull on the handle a of the spring-catch?) releasesthe flap-door D, which is then thrown out and held open by means of thespring Q, enabling the carrier to insert the letter without having tohold the flap open. If papers or other packages are to be deposited, apull on the handle G brings the post G to the front of the shelf, whereit is held by the springrod H, and then when the papers or package isplaced on. the shelf a lateral pull on the handle 11 releases the postG, which is drawn against and securely holds the papers or package bymeans of the spring N, as shown in Fig. 3. To withdraw the letters fromthe box,-

a pull on the handle I and rod 2' draws back the springj, thus releasingthe catch 6, when the door 0 will be thrown open by means of spring d.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mail-box and its supporting-wall, the box-door having a catchattached thereto, a spring locking device secured to the wall of the boxand adapted to engage with said catch, and an adjustable rod attached tosaid locking device and extended through the supporting-Wall andadjacent wall of the box, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. A mail-box having a shelf extended from its lower portion, said shelfhaving a slot formed therein, in combination with a rod movably securedto the bottom of the box and extended up through said slot, and a springsecured at one end to the bottom of the box and at the other to saidrod, substan tially as and for the purpose described.

3. A mail-box having a shelf extended from its lower portion, said shelfhaving a slot formed therein, in combination therewith a rod movabl ysecured to the bottom of the box and extended up through said slot,means for locking said rod in its forward position, and a-spring securedat one end to the bottom of the box and at the other to said rod,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A mail-box having a shelf extended from its lower portion, said shelfhaving a slot formed therein, in combination with a rod movably securedto the bottom of the box and extended up through said slot, a springsecured to the bottom of the box and extended across the slot andadapted to lock the said rod in its forward position, and a secondspring secured at one end to the bottom of the box and at the other tosaid rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ORMOND S. WHITE. JAMES P. LEWIS. I/Vitnesses:

LORD BUTLER HILLARD, G. W. Moon.

